Winchester market stays on lower High Street but with new safety measures

WINCHESTER City Council is making safety improvements to the High Street market after a bus collided with a boy next to the stalls last month.

The layout in the lower High Street will be changed with more stalls clustered together in small groups to allow bigger gaps and increased visibility for pedestrians and drivers.

Barriers and signs will also be installed in the gaps to encourage people to cross safely.

The changes follow a meeting last Friday between the city, county council, police, Stagecoach bus company and the market reviewing safety measures.

Cllr Vicki Weston attended on behalf of the council while Insp Andy Tester from the Roads Policing Unit and Sgt Andy Fisher of Winchester City Centre Safer Neighbourhoods Team represented the police.

Cllr Weston, portfolio holder for planning & transport said: “The market makes a valuable contribution to the economic vitality of the city centre and it is important that any changes we make are appropriate and seek to improve safety. Together with our partners we will closely manage the arrangements and keep the situation under review.

“Our thoughts remain with those involved in the accident and we hope that the young boy involved makes a speedy recovery.”

The boy was airlifted to hospital after the collision with the Stagecoach number three bus on January 25.

Winchester MP Steve Brine said: “I’m really pleased the wakeup call of the accident has been heeded. We will have to see how this works out and I will be interested in feedback from residents but the city council has taken sensible precautionary action and deserve credit for that.”

Stagecoach South managing director Andrew Dyer, also at the meeting, said he was happy with the solution but saw no need to change the bus route.

He said: “I think this will mean a significant improvement. It means that the point where anybody crosses the road is far enough away from the stalls that any driver coming past will have a better line of vision and will be able to see pedestrians, which was our main concern following the accident.

“We see no need to reroute the buses. We have not had any discussions and we will wait and see if there are any proposals and what they are but we cannot see an alternative route that would not inconvenience passengers or delay buses.”

But Cllr Ian Tait, ward councillor for the area, said he would not be reassured until the bus route was changed.

He said: “In fairness to the council, arrangements have been put in place to avoid any public health risk but I still do not think it is the appropriate solution and as soon as practically possible the buses should be diverted via the Friarsgate. It can be done and it would not be much of an inconvenience as buses have to rejoin St Georges Street already anyway.”

Comments (4)

"Barriers and signs will also be installed in the gaps to encourage people to cross safely"

Isn't this just going to make a conjested and cluttered area even more cluttered and conjested, whilst the root cause of this accident (the tatsville market) carries on selling its cheap cast-offs and landfill?...

"Barriers and signs will also be installed in the gaps to encourage people to cross safely"
Isn't this just going to make a conjested and cluttered area even more cluttered and conjested, whilst the root cause of this accident (the tatsville market) carries on selling its cheap cast-offs and landfill?...chumpster

good old chumpster, like you I only shop at the best places and the pure single estate Peruvian coffee that Mark sells at the Winchester Rosters is really second rate when compared to Jamaican Blue Mountain (the worlds most expensive coffee though). Obviously the Thai food is awful although the Thai couple who run it are Thai and are well respected in the Thai community in the UK. Who wants all that old furniture when you can go to IKEA, just because the stall sells real antique stuff which is very well made and the owner is a life long Winchester resident, lets spend our money on cheap foreign goods.

Like chumpster I spend loads of my time at the landfill site (where there's muck there's brass) and I hope I can make as much money as chumpster clearly has - good on you mate

Good clearly has, good on you mate

good old chumpster, like you I only shop at the best places and the pure single estate Peruvian coffee that Mark sells at the Winchester Rosters is really second rate when compared to Jamaican Blue Mountain (the worlds most expensive coffee though). Obviously the Thai food is awful although the Thai couple who run it are Thai and are well respected in the Thai community in the UK. Who wants all that old furniture when you can go to IKEA, just because the stall sells real antique stuff which is very well made and the owner is a life long Winchester resident, lets spend our money on cheap foreign goods.
Like chumpster I spend loads of my time at the landfill site (where there's muck there's brass) and I hope I can make as much money as chumpster clearly has - good on you mate
Good clearly has, good on you mateiantait

iantait wrote:
good old chumpster, like you I only shop at the best places and the pure single estate Peruvian coffee that Mark sells at the Winchester Rosters is really second rate when compared to Jamaican Blue Mountain (the worlds most expensive coffee though). Obviously the Thai food is awful although the Thai couple who run it are Thai and are well respected in the Thai community in the UK. Who wants all that old furniture when you can go to IKEA, just because the stall sells real antique stuff which is very well made and the owner is a life long Winchester resident, lets spend our money on cheap foreign goods.

Like chumpster I spend loads of my time at the landfill site (where there's muck there's brass) and I hope I can make as much money as chumpster clearly has - good on you mate

Good clearly has, good on you mate

Councillor Tait

Painted 1960's side boards are hardly antiques. But it sounds like one had been to the local hostelry before one wrote this. "Good clearly has, good on you mate?"

I'll see you in The Slug to discuss!

[quote][p][bold]iantait[/bold] wrote:
good old chumpster, like you I only shop at the best places and the pure single estate Peruvian coffee that Mark sells at the Winchester Rosters is really second rate when compared to Jamaican Blue Mountain (the worlds most expensive coffee though). Obviously the Thai food is awful although the Thai couple who run it are Thai and are well respected in the Thai community in the UK. Who wants all that old furniture when you can go to IKEA, just because the stall sells real antique stuff which is very well made and the owner is a life long Winchester resident, lets spend our money on cheap foreign goods.
Like chumpster I spend loads of my time at the landfill site (where there's muck there's brass) and I hope I can make as much money as chumpster clearly has - good on you mate
Good clearly has, good on you mate[/p][/quote]Councillor Tait
Painted 1960's side boards are hardly antiques. But it sounds like one had been to the local hostelry before one wrote this. "Good clearly has, good on you mate?"
I'll see you in The Slug to discuss!campfreddie

Iantait, I accept that generalising is always a bit unfair,, i'm sure some of the stalls sell decent stuff! However, it is my opinion that the high street is better off without the market clogging up the place, hiding the shop window displays in the process and making the overall shopping experience far more stressful than it needs to be. Markets have their value to a local community, no doubt about it, but only when its in the right location.

Now if you will excuse me, I must rush to the private jet at the end of my garden so I can get to harrods for lunch....

Iantait, I accept that generalising is always a bit unfair,, i'm sure some of the stalls sell decent stuff! However, it is my opinion that the high street is better off without the market clogging up the place, hiding the shop window displays in the process and making the overall shopping experience far more stressful than it needs to be. Markets have their value to a local community, no doubt about it, but only when its in the right location.
Now if you will excuse me, I must rush to the private jet at the end of my garden so I can get to harrods for lunch....chumpster